Etho Metho: The Rhododendrons of Rodung-La

Rodung-La is a pass on the old route between central and eastern regions of Bhutan. The trail, at some time in the past served as one significant trade route connecting Bumthang and Lhuentse Dzongkhags (District). People from the villages in Tang in Bumthang would travel to villages of Meadtsho in Lhuentse to barter wheat and buckwheat produces for green chillies in-between late spring to summer and for rice and dry chillies in autumn to early winter. Similarly the people of Meadtsho would travel to Tang for the exchange of same. Thus, the route came into live for twice in a year. The taxes in kind from east to central government also followed the trail. The traders, in particular the cloth sellers and other east-west vis-a-vis travellers from as far as Thimphu and Trashiyangtse too journeyed the route until the recent decades (1980s &1990s).

Rodungla

In the recent past, like many ancient and early routes in the country, Rodung-La route has as well fallen into disuse. Nevertheless, the route is used as hiking trial in times of today. It takes one from the Blue pine forests of Tang valley through Spruce forests, old Fir growth forests, Alpine meadows and to the cool broad-leaved forests of Lhuentse inside three days trek (only the journeys from Ugyenchholing – Phogphai – Pemai (Pemi) – Ungar/ Khenyel Lhakhang are being accounted in this writing). The Rodung-La Trek ascend from 2000 meters above sea level to the highest 4200 m.a.s.l. and it is consequently measured as a moderate trek. However, some fairly steep up hills and climb downs are few challenges to be considered. Separately from the beautiful mountainous panorama and countryside, the hike offers you an incredible array of biodiversity to be pleased about, especially the striking Rhododendrons

Khenyel Lhakhang

UgyenCholing Dzong

Rhododendrons belong to the family Ericaceae, it is composed of herbs, shrubs and trees with leaves that are alternate, simple and estipulate. The genus Rhododendron Linnaeus 1753 is characterised by shrubs and small to rarely large trees. Leaves are spirally arranged varying from one to two centimetres (cm) to over 50cm in size. In some species, underside of leaves is covered with tiny scales or hairs. The species are either deciduous or evergreen. Some species are known to have clusters of large flowers. The alpine species are with small flowers and small leaves.

Growing throughout the Northern Hemisphere and extending into Southern Hemisphere in Southeast Asia, rhododendron is a widely distributed genus with highest species diversity found growing in the Himalayas. Grierson & Long recorded 46 rhododendron species for Bhutan in the Flora of Bhutan out of which 45 species are well-known to be present in the country, and more than half of that number seems to be occurring in Rodung-La.

In ‘Etho Metho: The Rhododendrons of Rodung-La’ we present you 23 species of rhododendron in photographs those were observed over a period of more than six years.

1. Rhododendron areigenosum  Hook.f.

2.  Rhododendron anthopogon  D.Don

2. Rhododendron anthopogon  D.Don

3.   Rhododendron arboreum  Smith

Rhododendron arboreum var roseum Lindl.

4. Rhododendron argipeplum Balfour f. & Cooper

5. Rhododendron barbatum G.Don

6. Rhododendron bhutanense D.G. Long & Bowes Lyon

7. Rhododendron camplyocarpum Hook.f.

8. Rhododendron  cinabarinum  subsp.cinabarinum  Hooker.

9.  Rhodendron dalhousiae var. rhabdotum  (Balfour f. &Cooper) Cullen

10. Rhododendron glaucophyllum Rehder

11.  Rhododendron griffithianum Wight

12. Rhododendron hodgsonii Hook.f.

13.  Rhododendron kesangiae  Long & Rushforth

14. Rhododendron lanatum Hook.f.

15. Rhododendron  pendulum  Hook.f.

16.  Rhododendron setosum D.Don

17. Rhododendron succothii Davidian

18. Rhododendron thomsonii Hook.f.

19.  Rhododendron triflorum Hook.f.

20.  Rhododendron wallichii Hook.f.

21.  Rhododendron wightii Hook.f 

22. R. fulgens Hook. f.

23. Rhododendron lepidotum  G.Don

23. Rhododendron lepidotum  G.Don

The Bhutan Takin

 

A hairy herbivore with hunched shoulders, short thick neck and large broad face with small ears, a bulbous nose and backward-facing horns. Elusive one dwelling in the dense forests of the Himalayas bounding up steep slopes with agility and grace of an antelope.

A stuff of myth and revered. Origin attributed to a hero; the Divine Mad Man - Drukpa Kunley who took a heap of cow and goat bones then reassembled into a new animal grafting the head of goat onto the body of cow. This is the Bhutan Takin, one of four subspecies of Takins found in Asia.

The vulnerable Bhutan Takin (𝐵𝑢𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑖) is the National Animal of Bhutan.